Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn again pushed back, in responses released Tuesday to Senate Commerce Committee members’ follow-up questions against claims she hasn't been sufficiently candid about whether she played a role as a board member for Locast operator Sports Fans Coalition (SFC) in securing a revised $700,000 settlement of broadcasters’ lawsuit against the shuttered rebroadcaster (see 2202090070). Sohn got repeated GOP criticism during a second confirmation hearing earlier this month over the Locast settlement process and her January commitment to temporarily recuse herself from some FCC proceedings involving retransmission consent and broadcast copyright matters (see 2201280066). Sohn’s repeat appearance in front of Senate Commerce isn't considered likely to have changed her prospects of getting support only from committee Democrats (see 2202090070).
A "special focus" on connecting Black households "is warranted if we are ever going to close the digital divide," said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks during a virtual event Tuesday. "Far too many Black Americans are on the wrong side of the digital divide," Starks said, and "we can no longer defer the hard work on digital equity." The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included $2.75 billion for NTIA to establish digital equity and inclusion programs and language authorizing the FCC to spend some of its $14 billion affordable connectivity program (ACP) on outreach (see 2107280065).
House Commerce Committee leaders' two draft bills to revamp the FCC's low earth orbit (LEO) satellite licensing rules (see 2202110064) raise questions such as how the measures would affect agency resources and the potential impact on spectrum availability, industry experts told us. Many in the satellite industry don't expect Congress to make much progress in advancing the bills this year and expect development of the proposals to be a multiyear effort.
A U.S. Forest Service proposal to charge communications facilities on National Forest System (NFS) lands an annual administrative fee could be an existential threat to smaller broadcasters but is seen by wireless groups as a route to faster approvals, according to interviews. The deadline for comments is Tuesday, but docket 2021-27681 already listed 591 submissions Friday. “I get that they have to cover the administrative costs of what they do, but some of these stations have been there for 30 years,” said National Translator Association President Jack Mills.
Commenters on the Universal Service Fund generally agreed its funding system is unsustainable and in need of changes but disagreed on the solution, in comments posted Friday in docket 21-476 (see 2112220051) as the FCC prepares its report to Congress on the future of USF.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel indicated during a news conference Friday that the agency is unlikely to force a delay of AT&T’s 3G shutdown, which starts Tuesday, but she said it got AT&T to agree to allow IoT devices to continue to roam using T-Mobile’s network. The Alarm Industry Communications Committee asked the FCC to delay the sunset for at least 60 days, so its members can work out how roaming would work.
Citing the expanded use of telemedicine, FCC commissioners unanimously adopted a Further NPRM seeking comments on changes to the rural healthcare program’s telecom program’s rates determination rules and to the healthcare connect fund’s internal funding caps, during the agency’s monthly meeting Friday (see 2202170031). They also adopted an order requiring Aureon to submit information needed to calculate refunds to its customers, and a $45 million fine against a company that made more than 500,000 robocalls that violate Telephone Consumer Protection Act rules. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel also said the FCC plans a notice of inquiry on receiver standards, which has been before the agency for 20 years.
The Senate Commerce Committee is considering a potential markup for bipartisan children’s privacy legislation introduced last week (see 2202160055), Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told us Thursday.
A federal judge mulled Thursday whether Maryland’s digital ad tax is in fact a penalty on big tech. At virtual oral argument, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby in Baltimore weighed jurisdictional issues on the challenge by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NetChoice Internet Association and Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) (case 21-cv-00410).
Congress is paying increased attention to orbital debris, but it’s not close to legislative action about it, said Capitol Hill committee staffers Thursday at the FAA annual Commercial Space Transportation Conference in Washington. They said action on space situational awareness (SSA) and space traffic coordination (STC) will be a priority for the 117th session.